Category: Rugby

Rugby World Cup 2027: Format, Pools, Venues and the Official Draw

Navy and teal graphic for Rugby World Cup 2027 showing a stylised rugby ball and goalposts, a grid of six pools with Pool A highlighted in gold, and key facts: 24 teams, 6 pools, 52 matches, 1 October – 13 November 2027 in Australia.

The next men’s Rugby World Cup heads to Australia in 2027, and for supporters across Aotearoa New Zealand it is the closest a World Cup has been to home since the All Blacks lifted the trophy on their own soil in 2011. A short hop across the Tasman, familiar time zones and a heavyweight pool […]

Kids Rugby Boots NZ: A Parent’s Guide to Fit, Studs and Safety

Illustration of a white and amber junior rugby boot with moulded studs on a green rugby pitch background, labelled to show 1 cm of toe room, beside the title Kids Rugby Boots NZ: A Parent’s Guide to Fit, Studs and Safety.

Choosing the right rugby boots for a child is one of the first equipment decisions a New Zealand parent faces before the winter season. The correct pair affects grip, comfort and safety on grounds that swing from hard and dry in early autumn to deep mud by July. This guide explains how junior boots differ […]

Sevens Rugby Explained: Rules, Tournaments and New Zealand’s Teams

Graphic titled “Sevens Rugby Explained: Rules, Tournaments and New Zealand’s Teams”, showing a stylised green rugby pitch with goalposts, seven players in an attacking line and a rugby ball, alongside the facts of seven players a side, two seven-minute halves and an Olympic debut in 2016.

Sevens rugby is the seven-a-side version of rugby union: the same ball, the same full-size pitch and broadly the same laws as the fifteen-a-side game, but played by far fewer players over much shorter matches. The result is a fast, open, high-scoring sport that fits neatly into a two-day tournament and has become one of […]

Blues vs Crusaders: The Rivalry, Head-to-Head Record and 2026 Results

Split blue and red graphic showing Blues versus Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific, with Auckland and Canterbury labels, a Super Rugby titles tally of 4 to 13, and the caption The Rivalry, Head-to-Head Record and 2026 Results.

The clash between the Blues and the Crusaders is one of New Zealand’s defining Super Rugby contests — an Auckland-versus-Canterbury meeting that has run since the professional competition began in 1996. This guide sets out what the rivalry is, the full head-to-head record, every 2026 result, the venues the two sides call home, and how […]

All Blacks Experience: Auckland’s Interactive Rugby Attraction Guide

Featured graphic for an All Blacks Experience guide showing a plain black rugby jersey and a rugby ball in front of goal posts and the Auckland skyline with the Sky Tower, alongside the text "All Blacks Experience – Auckland's interactive rugby attraction", "5 interactive zones", "45–60 min tour" and "From NZ$35".

The All Blacks Experience is a guided, interactive attraction in central Auckland that celebrates the teams who wear New Zealand’s famous black jersey. It opened in December 2020 inside the SkyCity precinct and is a joint venture between New Zealand Rugby and Ngāi Tahu Tourism. Rather than a static museum of trophy cabinets, it combines […]

Rugby Ball NZ: How to Choose the Right Size, Type and Match Ball

Illustration of three unbranded rugby balls on kicking tees in front of faint goalposts, showing Size 3 for ages 7–9, Size 4 for ages 10–14 and Size 5 for ages 15 and up, beside the heading "Rugby Ball NZ: How to choose the right size, type and match ball".

Choosing the right rugby ball matters more than most people expect. The oval ball is the one piece of equipment every player touches on every play, and its size, grip and condition shape how cleanly juniors learn to pass, how reliably a kicker can find touch, and how long a club’s gear survives a wet […]

All Blacks vs Ireland: The Rivalry, Record and Recent Results

Split black and green graphic headed "All Blacks vs Ireland: The Rivalry, Record and Recent Results", showing the all-time head-to-head record of 34 New Zealand wins, 5 Ireland wins and 1 draw beside a rugby ball flying between goalposts under stadium floodlights.

Few fixtures in modern rugby union have changed as dramatically as the meetings between the All Blacks and Ireland. For more than a century New Zealand won almost every Test between the two nations, and an Irish victory seemed close to impossible. Over the last decade that story has been rewritten: Ireland became one of […]

Rugby Boots NZ: How to Choose the Right Pair for Your Position and Ground

Illustrated rugby boot with studs standing on a split strip of muddy soft ground and firm turf, beside a rugby ball and the headline "Rugby Boots NZ: How to choose the right pair for your position and ground".

Choosing a pair of rugby boots is one of the most important gear decisions a player makes before stepping onto the paddock in Aotearoa New Zealand. Whether you pack down as a club prop in the winter mud of Christchurch, chase kicks as an outside back on a firm Auckland track, or you are a […]

All Blacks vs Scotland: The Rivalry, Record and Results

Featured graphic for All Blacks vs Scotland: The Rivalry, Record and Results, showing a rugby ball flying past goal posts over a black and navy background, with the all-time Test record of 33 Tests, 31 All Blacks wins, 2 draws and 0 Scotland wins, and the latest result of 25–17 at Murrayfield in November 2025.

The Test match rivalry between the All Blacks and Scotland is one of the oldest in the international game, dating back to the New Zealand “Originals” tour of 1905. It is also one of the most one-sided: across 33 Tests, New Zealand has never lost to Scotland. Scotland has come agonisingly close, forcing two draws […]

All Blacks Team Selection: How the Squad, Positions and Match-Day 23 Are Chosen

Graphic of a rugby team sheet showing 15 numbered black jerseys in match formation on a green pitch and eight grey bench jerseys numbered 16 to 23, next to the heading "All Blacks Team Selection: How the squad, positions and match-day 23 are chosen".

Few announcements stir as much conversation across New Zealand as the naming of the All Blacks. When the selectors confirm a touring squad or a match-day team, the choices are dissected in workplaces, clubrooms and sports media from Northland to Southland, because the players picked carry the hopes of a rugby-obsessed country onto the test […]